The webinar “Importance of Customs to Business Pillars: Selected AEO Updates from the ESA Region”, convened on 27 November 2025, brought together private-sector representatives and customs practitioners from across the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region for a substantive discussion on the evolving Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) landscape. Hosted by the WCO ESA Regional Private Sector Group (RPSG), the session explored how modernised, co-created customs processes can underpin more secure, predictable, and competitive cross-border trade.

Opening remarks by Dr Jacob van Rensburg situated the conversation within the broader policy environment, emphasising the private sector’s interest in greater alignment, transparency, and collaboration to support industrialisation and trade integration efforts in the region.

The central contribution of the webinar came from Mr Devlyn Naidoo, Executive: SARS and Other Government Agencies, who delivered a comprehensive regional review of AEO developments. Drawing on insights from the WCO SAFE Framework, he outlined how AEO across ESA seeks to balance facilitation, security, and improved compliance through risk-based border management. His analysis showed significant expansion of AEO programmes over the past decade, with most ESA administrations now operating pilot or fully fledged frameworks. He also highlighted variance across the region – from highly mature systems in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, to emerging or pilot-phase models in Mozambique and selected SADC countries.

A key theme in his presentation was the need for interoperability and deeper mutual recognition, particularly given the region’s heavy reliance on multimodal corridors. Mr Naidoo illustrated how end-to-end flows of products, data, and finance – from origin to destination – require modernised, integrated processes involving customs, other government agencies, brokers, transporters, and distributors. He emphasised that AEO is central to SARS’s shift toward voluntary compliance, underpinned by trust, validation, integrity, and measurable performance improvements. Referencing South African indicators – such as a 0.004% stop rate for accredited traders and significant cost savings per avoided container stop – he demonstrated the tangible value of accreditation to business.

With the second scheduled speaker unable to participate, the extended discussion with Mr Naidoo allowed participants to interrogate regional constraints, including inconsistent programme depth, uneven private-sector uptake, and limited cross-government participation. The dialogue also explored strategic recommendations for policymakers and business, such as harmonised validation, expanded inter-agency involvement, and clearer pathways toward a 2030 regional AEO vision.

Mr Nico Oberholzer, Vice Chair of the WCO ESA RPSG, concluded the session by synthesising the key insights, reaffirming the RPSG’s commitment to strengthening customs–business collaboration, and underscoring the importance of regional AEO advancement in building resilient, efficient, and future-ready supply chains.